


Wings of Great-Great-Grandmothers-Suck (but it's still technically our wings of freedom)

by echoingsentiment (doeeerie)



Series: Beauty of Freedom [2]
Category: Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan
Genre: Alternate Universe, Angst, College AU, Death, Fluff, Happy Ending, Humor, M/M, Multi, Sorta death, like not main character death tho, ships galore, so like minor chracter death
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-06-28
Updated: 2014-06-28
Packaged: 2018-02-06 15:26:51
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,927
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1862883
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/doeeerie/pseuds/echoingsentiment
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>In a world where your soul mates name is on your inner right wrist, not having a name there sort of really sucks. But what sucks more is when the person you are supposed to end up with has meddling great great grandmothers. Or well, the spirits of their great great grandmother. Who made a bet with my great great grandmothers spirit. But see that’s not the point. The point of the matter is that, going to college, dealing with hormones, meddling spirits and gods? That sucks. Not to mention rebels, political upheaval and religious prosecution. And as if that wasn't enough, I was falling in love with someone I never thought I’d ever meet. But that? That was the hardest part out of everything.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Wings of Great-Great-Grandmothers-Suck (but it's still technically our wings of freedom)

In a world where your soul mates name is on your inner right wrist, not having a name there sort of really sucks. But what sucks more is when the person you are supposed to end up with has meddling great great grandmothers. Or well, the spirits of their great great grandmother. Who made a bet with my great great grandmothers spirit. But see that’s not the point. The point of the matter is that, going to college, dealing with hormones, meddling spirits and gods? That sucks. Not to mention rebels, political upheaval and religious prosecution. And as if that wasn't enough, I was falling in love with someone I never thought I’d ever meet. But that? That was the hardest part out of everything.

* * *

“Marco! Stop being a fuckin’ pussy and get your ass down here and say hello to your fucking big sister.” 

Oh. Right. She was coming home today.

“Coming!”

I closed the college website where I was signing up for classes and ran downstairs. Today my older sister who was 30 was coming home to visit for the weekend before I left for college classes. She did this every year. Every year she would give me the same old speech in the same old tone of voice. I smiled as I reached the bottom of the stairs, looking around for her. Of course I knew what was going to happen, but I had hoped I’d avoid it at least one year. 

Before I knew it there was a tackle around my back and I was in a very sturdy headlock by my sister. My sister is five foot even. I’m five ten. Do you see why this is a problem, Marco? This is a huge problem, Marco. You are weaker than your own sister. Okay so that was a total lie, I was way stronger than her, but I knew not to fight her because she could definitely keep her own in a fight.

“Marco, you gonna stop being a nerd this year and get you a fucking soul mate?”

I rolled my eyes. “Yes, because I totally have suddenly developed a name on my wrist.”

She growls and rolls her eyes letting me go and jumping off of me. “Not what I meant little bro. I told you how I feel about you being a Blank Slate lil’ dude. Own it my man.” 

I frowned. I couldn’t own it. Being a Blank Slate meant you were going to be alone for the rest of your life. You would never find your own soul mate. Everyone else was destined to love someone, and I was faulty. I was a problem. (It wasn’t until later that I found out how wrong I was but, well, that’s a different story.)

“Why are you here so early? I thought you weren’t supposed to be here for another couple hours?” This was odd. She was here way before noon, she was barely even up before noon on a normal day. How she worked as a veterinarian I didn’t know. “Seriously though Lilly, what are you doing here so early? You’re never up before noon. Like ever.” 

She shrugged. “I dunno, I just woke up pretty early today. And I wasn’t tired. I didn’t even need to get coffee!” 

Okay something was weird. She always ran on coffee. I didn’t really think much more of it and just decided that it was just a weird coincidence (I was wrong). She walked into the kitchen and I followed her. She was after homemade lemonade. Unfortunately I hadn’t gotten around to making it yet. She looked in the fridge and I just smiled.

“It’s not in there. I didn’t think you’d be here so I haven’t made any yet.” 

Her face falls and she glares. “You're denying me my lemonade lil’ bro?” Oh no, she looked really angry.

“N—No! No! I’ll make you some right now!” Need to please the beast before she starts beating me up again for cracking jokes about her sleeping schedules. 

It didn’t take me long until I was swirling together the sugar and lemonade. She liked hers more tart than sugary, a lot like Simply Lemonade that you could get at the store. Though she swore mine was so much better (which it definitely was). 

“Where’s lil’ lil’ bro?” She asked swirling around the ice in her lemonade. She was talking about my younger brother. Alexander happened to be away at the time with my mother getting some food for the night.

“Alex? He’s with mom at the store, they’ll be back soon.” I shrugged and took a sip of my own lemonade. Not half bad. I was pretty good at this. 

We sit in silence for a while, and I knew she was trying to think of what to ask next. This happened a lot. We were quiet, but we also really cared about each other. She just had an odd way of showing that she cared about me. Like trapping me in head locks all the time.

“So what do you think of the new college you’re going to be headed too? I know you’ve been saving up for a while. And you got that scholarship. But do you have to go so far from home? It’s a full five hour drive. I won’t be able to see you but on winter break. And can you even afford the apartment you got? I mean if you need any money whatsoever just tell me and I’ll take care of it.” 

I rolled my eyes.

“Don’t worry about it. I’ve had enough saved up to pay for the whole years rent. Plus that scholarship paid for all my classes and books, and then some. What’s great is that utilities and internet and everything come in the rent, so I don’t have to worry about anything. Plus I’ll be doing work study for a few extra bucks." I gave her a small, reassuring smile. "I’ll be fine. As for the college itself you were just interrupting me signing up for my classes officially.” 

“Oh sweet, then bring down your laptop and let me see what you’re taking.” 

That was her next command, and I didn’t really mind showing her what I was taking. So I went upstairs and got my laptop and brought it back down to show her the classes I was signing up for. An introductory class that was required for the first semester, history, biology, and a math class. 

I heaved as I sat down on the couch, laptop in tow, next to Lilly. “I’ve still got to sign up though so let me finish picking my times.”

I clicked through for biology and math easily enough. But when I went to click for the introductory class and history, I found that something strange was happening. I was going to select afternoon classes, where out of nowhere my page refreshed and the only seats open were those in the morning, right after another. I thought it was strange, but oh well. I don’t really mind mornings.

That was the start of all the strange things that would soon happen in my life.

* * *

Unfortunately, I happened to miss the introductory assembly because wouldn’t it just be my luck that I had to sort out my scholarship award right before my first class. So I missed the introductory assembly, but I was the first one in my first class. I took a seat near the wall towards the back. I tended to want to avoid the front of classrooms. I had a habit of doing things like doodling instead of taking notes. But I had to buckle down, if I didn’t get myself together and actually take notes I was sure I’d fail. However failing was the last thing on my mind.

Our first class was the class where we could ask any questions we wanted, and my question? It’d been weighing on my mind for as long as I could remember. I wasn’t really paying attention when the classroom filled, but after a while the loud arguing of a boy and his friends caught my attention. I couldn’t catch everything they were talking about, but I know it was about something to do with Shiganshina. I tried to catch what they were saying, but I only caught clipped sentences and what I assumed were their names.

Eventually our teacher came in and god, talk about intimidating. He was bald and definitely had a air that practically screamed "don’t piss me off". 

Humorously that was exactly what he said. 

“Alright I’m going to take roll. And then I’ll answer the questions you are all teeming to find the answers too. My name is Keith Shadis, but you can call me sir. I don’t like stupid questions, and I don’t like stupid answers. This class is your introductory class to everything to do with this college. I won’t tolerate eating in my class,” A girl up front squeaks and hides a bag of potato chips, “I won’t tolerate stupidity. I won’t tolerate a lot of things, so listen up, shut up, and don’t act ridiculously stupid so I don’t have to want to kill you.”

He was more than pretty intimidating and nobody dared to make a sound. He was pretty efficient and it didn’t give me much time to prepare my question, so when it was time to ask questions, my hand was expectingly not the first to go up. It was the boy from before, Eren. He seemed so angry earlier, I couldn't help but wonder if it had something to do with what they were talking about before class. 

“Why did the group of religious members that followed the titan theory murder all those people in Shiganshina? Why was my mother shot down by a member as I was pulled away by the police who were just standing-by? Why did all of Shiganshina have to be burnt to the ground?”

Oh... so that was why he was so angry. I’d heard about Shiganshina before. Supposedly a group of religious members that followed the titan theory were all "mentally ill" and attacked and killed everyone in Shiganshina. I know that not a lot of people survived, and it seems like that’s what the three were talking about before. They must have been survivors. Apparently there was a theory floating around that the leader of the religion only hid the people to change their appearance and then let them go.

The titan theory was the theory that hundreds of years ago the titan gods gave the power of knowledge to human beings, and thus the soul mate name was born. No one really knows when it started, but it may have been because a large library dedicated to this phenomenon occuring in the world was burnt to a ground a year before the titan theory revealed itself. The religious group based on the titan theory all around seemed a little sneaky and suspicious, but well, that’s what happens when your people kills others.

Of course, there were people like the Survey Corps, a group of rebels that believed in freedom of choice and believed you were supposed to choose who you loved. Many of them were Blank Slates, and had the wings of freedom tattooed on their wrists. One black wing and one blue wing over the space where their soulmates name would, or maybe should, be. It took a while for our teacher to answer, and finally he spoke aloud. His face seemed grim, but he seemed to know the answer Eren needed. 

“That is for you to find out on your own. I can’t answer for you, but I can say it’s because on that day a large amount of Survey Corps were there. That’s all I’ll say.”

Everyone started talking again, and during that time my resolve grew. I raised my hand trying hard not to shake. I needed to ask this question. 

“Marco Bott, Speak.” 

My hand lowered, and I looked at my inner right wrist. My fingers tensed, but I took a deep breath and the question came out really clear and surprisingly calm for how nervous I was. 

“Why are there people that are born as Blank Slates?”

The class erupted into chaos and I tensed more, my fingers tensing into a fist. I was angry that everyone was staring at me, everyone was judging. I felt everyone’s eyes on me, and I just wanted to yell at everyone to just shut up. Everyone always judged Blank Slates. No one else could even know what it was like to be a blank slate. No one. I’d never met anyone with a Blank Slate before, and so I was angry as I stared at my wrist and balled my fists. Eventually, after I took a deep breath, I looked up at Shadis who had finally decided to answer.

“I cannot tell you the answer to that. I don’t know myself. But I can tell you how I feel. Freedom is what a blank slate means. Freedom to love who you want without it being predetermined by some decision made by someone or something you don’t know. A blank wrist is what gives you the ultimate control of your life. Be proud to wear it, because you are a true symbol of freedom.”

I thought it was a pretty shitty answer.

I didn’t press though, instead I just glowered at my wrist. Eventually I tuned everyone out and just sort of went back to doodling. I wanted to get out of there as fast as possible. It wasn’t until right before the bell rang that I noticed on Shadis’ wrist the wings of freedom. I felt a little bad about being so mad at him for his answer. That was what he truly believed, since he was a Blank Slate himself. When the class was over, I bolted for the door. 

All I wanted to do was get out of there.

I felt uncomfortable, like everyone was staring at me. I thought for sure though that at college no one would mess with me. 

I was wrong.

On the way to my next class I took a wrong turn only to find out I was being followed by some of the guys from my first class. I turned, confused, and looked them over. They stopped what they were doing and nodded towards me. “So you’re a Blank Slate huh? Marco was it?” I stiffened. 

“Yeah, so what?” 

“Well, see Marco, here’s the problem. You’re a Blank Slate. And that goes against me and my friends' religion. Should'nt haves said anything about that dude. Cause, see, now it’s our duty to rid you, the filth of the world, from our dear college.”

I knew what was coming the moment they all surrounded me. People scrambled by then, and I was all alone. Like always. I shouldn’t have said anything, I shouldn’t have asked. I knew this was going to happen. I just knew it. There was always a reason that I avoided telling people I was a Blank Slate. Maybe they weren’t even sure I was a Blank Slate. 

Oh what was I thinking, of course they knew. I was the dumbass that asked about it.

Now I’ve always been able to hold myself in a fight, and this time was no difference. They all lunged at once, and I ducked, making them all crash into each other. I hit one in the stomach after the other with all my strength and they doubled over. The last one lunged and caught my lip, busting it open on my teeth. I could taste the coppery taste blood leaves in your mouth. I reared back and that’s when he got me in the eye. Before long, I was overpowered. 

However, I was blessed by the gods.

“You fucking kids need to stop it right fucking now.” It sounded so livid that I didn’t even know who it was. For a second I thought I imagined it. But evidently they knew, and they scrambled. I collapsed to my knees and before I knew it I was being pulled up roughly by my shirt. “What the fuck was going on here?” I looked at the small man that had just pulled me roughly up with a strange amount of strength. He was so short, and yet he looked pissy and terrifying. 

“Uh… sorry, uh… sir…” 

He cringed. “Unless you are my pupil call me Professor Levi, not sir. Sir is fucking annoying. Sir this, sir that. Jesus kids are fucking stupid.” I was dumb founded but I nodded. “What happened to make them so pissed at you that they started beating you up kid? Not like a give a shit, but now that I’ve seen it I’ve got to do paperwork.” 

I stuttered over my words for a moment until he slapped me on the back of my head.

“Stop that and tell me what happened.”

“Uh… I asked a question in my first class, and it revealed that I’m a Blank Slate. The guys from that class followed me and said it was against their religion and they wanted to 'rid filth like me from the world'.” It was pretty open and to the truth. I mean, obviously I was the victim. 

“Levi, is that kid okay?” I looked over to see a young woman on her way over. She was just as small as the man before, but much much kinder. “Are you okay? You got in a fight didn’t you? Have you been to the nurse? I swear these kids get worse every year.” I flushed, I wasn’t used to anyone caring about my wellbeing other than my family. 

“Don’t coddle him Petra. He’s fine. Right?” 

“Yeah uh, I’m fine. I should get to class though. I’m pretty late.”

“Well do you need me to escort you?” The woman, Petra, was being concerned again. I shook my head and laughed lightly. 

“No uh, that’s okay. Can you just point me in the right direction?” 

After showing them my schedule and Levi giving me another smack to the head I finally made it to my class. The teacher was pissed. 

“Can I get your name?”

“Marco Bodt.”

“Next time, try to be on time.”

I nodded and then looked for a seat. There were only a few left, but only one in the back. It was next to a guy that seemed a little on edge. He kinda gave me the creeps. He kept staring at me, but well… maybe that was just his way of trying to figure someone out? When I sat next to him he got really tense. So I tried to ignore it and just sort of take notes. Eventually the teacher turned back towards us, and got an angry pissed off look on her face.

“Jean Kirstein please pay attention!”

She was staring right next to me so I turned to find that my sitting partner seemed to be embarrassed and turned back to his notes. Was he still staring at me? I tensed up. Creepy much? Thankfully, it wasn’t long before class was over. I was packed and halfway through the room when I heard my name. 

“Marco!”

I turned and saw the boy from before staring at me sheepishly and waving. Well maybe he finally found his words. I waited for him to come over and when he got there, I smiled wide. Maybe he was just shy. I internally scolded myself. I shouldn’t judge a book by its cover.

“You’re Jean right? You were distracted taking notes, and the teacher called on you. What’s up?”

He seemed to be struggling to find words, but I found I didn’t mind. Instead I looked him over. He had strong features. Sharp jaw and amber eyes. Tensed body. He must be nervous. His hair was pretty interesting, it was like a lighter brown, and then a darker brown on the bottom. Finally he blurted out what was on his mind.

“You’re a Blank Slate right? That’s what you implied when you were talking earlier.”

I got really tense at that. Was he going to cause problems as well? I was not going to take it again. I glared at him and my fingers started to tense on my backpack straps. I was not in the mood for this twice in one day. This was way too much. I was so fucking done with having to defend myself. I steeled myself and hoped I would bring my point across. 

“Why do you wanna know? Are you going to try and beat me up like those other assholes? I’ll have you know I can hold my own no matter how strong you think you are. I’m not a push over.”

So maybe I wasn’t always as nice as I seem. I’m usually really nice, my sister even claims I'm too nice, but I was not about to take another beating . Especially from someone like this guy. Sure he seemed okay, but if he was about to go on a tirade about how bad blank slates were, I was going to get really pissed off really really fast. 

“No! No, uh… I’m… I’m a Blank Slate too.”

I sort of was shocked, and my eyes widened and I relaxed. So he was a blank slate too? This was great. Finally I met someone like me. I smiled.

“I’m Marco.” I stuck out my hand for him to shake. “I’m a Blank Slate.” 

He shook my hand and seemed to let out a sigh he’d been holding a while. Was this why he was so fascinated with me? Because he was a blank slate too? I knew there had to be a ton at this school, that’s why I came, but to think I’d be in a class with someone that was a blank slate and introduced themselves as one? I just feel like that was something really special. Something was changing. My chest tightened. Maybe I’d actually have friends who will understand me for once. 

“I’m Jean. I’m a Blank Slate too.”

I smiled, and he smiled too. Eventually our smiles grew until we were laughing and got kicked out by the teacher. It was really great though, because as soon as we stopped laughing, we started talking. We were getting along already, and, for the first time in a long time, I was really happy. I’d finally found a friend that was like me. I had a feeling it was going to be a great, great semester. 

Boy how wrong and right I was.

* * *

Now see, my Marco has so much a better chance of getting together with Jean first. See me? I’m Marco’s great great grandmother, Marybeth! And I made a bet with that stupid woman of Jean’s great great grandmother, Johanna. 

Whoever gets the two of them to kiss first, wins the bet. Now I wasn’t going to lose to some lesser love god. Not when I’ve got all the power I needed in just being close with Marco. Well close as in I watched over him. See, Marco there tends to be a little too shy to tell people things. So me? Grandmamma Marybeth is gonna get my grandson laid! Take that Johanna. I’ll get there before you do!

Just wait until my little Marco seduces your Jean, Johanna.

Maybe betting on our grandson’s love life wasn’t the best idea.

But it sure was a fun one!

**Author's Note:**

> Ahhh okay so I totally started my Beauty Of Freedom series.
> 
> I already announced all my hiatus for my homestuck fanfiction, because I wanted to focus on what I had inspiration for, which is this!
> 
> Huge thanks to tumblr user [timidvindicator](http://www.timidvindicator.tumblr.com) my editor for this fic.
> 
> You can find Jean's POV [here](http://archiveofourown.org/works/1862766/chapters/4009731).
> 
>  
> 
> The tag for this on tumblr will be fic: beauty of freedom.


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